■ Photos: Es-esa Soblino Alodos ES, JBB, Joel Mcknug
Bikers and running enthusiasts from various groups have reached out to pupils in one of the remotest schools in Benguet.
The effort was led by Team Lakay Mountain Bikers Club (LMBC) with Team Pine, Nitro Cordillera Mountain Bikers and people from the running community of Baguio-Benguet conducted the outreach program at Es-esa Soblino Alodos Elementary School in Proper Tacadang, Kibungan recently.
With treats and cookies baked by the Velo family, the team transported set of shirt and long pants per student that serves as school uniform for the children as preferred by the school teachers headed by Maryann Grace Mapangdol.
From the jump off area at Tanap, Poblacion, the group organized a team of cyclist and traversed the ongoing road construction to Tacadang from Sitio Dada, Poblacion, Bakun and another team hiked and trek the mountain trails called Tacadang circuit, trail used by the locals to reach Proper Tacadang by foot from and to the nearest road of Kibungan in absence of motorized transportation.
The one-way traverse to Proper Tacadang took the team more than three hours.
The team distributed the set of uniforms with goodies to 47 kinder to grade 6 learners, with Martina Poket as the main contact person of Es-esa S. Alodos Elementary School.
The fund raised were mostly donations from the members of team LMBC, team Pine, friends in the running community, and portions of the proceeds from the bicycle event ‘NITRO 6’ organized by Team Nitro Cordillera Mountain Bikers, a mountain bike challenge held on Dec. 10, 2023.
The outreach program in Tacadang is one of the many outreach projects of team LMBC, headed by Jess Abenoja since the team was organized. – Press release
